Room 15 students are wrapping up our history studies with some review activities, History Jeopardy, and their final exam. Over the course of the year, the kids studied American history from pre-colonization through the Oregon Trail. This is half of what we’d study in a normal year but due to instructional limitations related to class size, scheduling, and state testing, we’ve had to spread our content over two years. Next year’s Room 15 kids will get a close look at American history from the Civil War to the present.

In language arts, students are finishing their OMSI essays, studying a new bank of vocabulary words, and starting new Book Clubs. We’re making a slight change for this final Book Club, however. Instead of being assigned as homework reading, these books will be read entirely at school. The kids will be asked to read books of their own choosing for their nightly homework.

In math class, students are continuing their study of fractions by seeing how they relate to decimals. They’ve already done a bit of this earlier in the year, so this final step should come pretty easily. Here’s the homework for this week: Monday, May 14th; Tuesday, May 15th; Wednesday, May 16th; Thursday, May 17th.

Finally, upcoming important events include the Science Fair on Friday the 18th, the Adopt-A-Street Clean-up on May 24th (4th grade math kids) and DARE Day at Emmigrant Lake (5th graders). There’s no school on May 25th (budget cuts) or May 28th (Memorial Day). All 4th and 5th graders will be going to Don Jones Water Park on June 4th, Roadrunner Day is June 6th, and the End-of-the-Year Baby Picture Program is June 7th, which is also our last day of school.

Congrats to Ethan Scott, Jadelyn Siewell, and Chase Sonnen for presenting their essays at the 2012 DARE Graduation! Stay tuned for information about DARE Day.

CPE fifth graders are off to OMSI, the State Capitol, and the Oregon Zoo this Thursday. Each eligible student has a packet of information describing the trip and identifying what to bring. Also included in the packet is a medical release form. Students are required to have this turned-in by Wednesday to attend the trip. Despite the trip, the fifth graders still have homework to do Tuesday night including studying for Wednesday’s vocab exam (access to the list can be found in last week’s post) and Book Club reading, the assignment for which appears on their Assignment Calendar. Students will have a Book Club quiz on Wednesday.

Fourth graders can look forward to next year’s 5th grade trip. In the meantime, they have the usual homework items. Here’s the homework for math class: Tuesday, April 24; Wednesday, April 25; Thursday, April 26.

Finally, don’t forget about Scenic Middle School’s presentation of The Wizard of Oz this Thursday through Saturday at the Crater Performing Arts Center. Evening shows begin at 7 and there’s also a 2 p.m. matinee on Saturday. Tickets run $7.50 for adults and $5 for students and seniors. The Thursday show is a “pay what you can” night. It’s sure to be an incredible show so don’t miss it!

Science Fair packets go home with students on Monday. This is a project to be completed at home. Parents are welcome to assist and advise students following the guidelines appearing in the packet. Students have until Thursday to draft their initial Science Fair proposal.

Fifth grade students start new Book Clubs on Monday. This month’s titles include three fifth grade classics: The Incredible Journey, Island of the Blue Dolphins, and Sign of the Beaver. They’re to read one section from their book each Monday-Thursday nights, using the weekends to catch-up when necessary. Students also have new vocabulary words on Monday. The list can be found by clicking here. The test is scheduled for Wednesday the 25th, which is the day before our OMSI trip. The OMSI trip is shaping-up nicely, with good weather predicted for our time at the Capitol and Zoo (not the same place…really). Students took home their OMSI Excursion Information Packets last Friday.

Fourth grade math students are doing a great job on fractions. Homework for this week is as follows: Monday, April 16; Tuesday, April 17; Wednesday, April 18.

There is no school on Friday April 20th. This is a budget cut day (write your legislature). There is no school on Monday, April 23rd. This is a teacher professional development day, a day when teachers are to undergo training. At CPE, this day was “traded” for weekly PLC training sessions after-hours on Wednesdays.

Finally, Thursday, April 19th is DARE Graduation. This sentinel moment of 5th grade takes place in the gym at 1:00. Family members are invited to attend. Students should dress for the occasion. Be sure also to stop by the classroom and check out the Room 15 Red Ribbon. Nearly every student in 19 years of teaching has signed the banner to make a drug-free pledge.

These days, it’s always state testing season, so it should come as no surprise that kids are heading back into the computer lab for another round. While these are “high stakes” tests for the school and district, they’re also significant for the kids. These test scores do not have much impact on the student’s advancement in school, but failing scores often leave them emotionally battered. At parent-teacher conferences, several people asked about practice state tests, so I’ve added a page of hot links to the State of Oregon’s practice tests in reading, math, and science. There’s an online version and a printable PDF version of each test, allowing parents to give their kids a leg up by providing extra practice at home. To go directly to that page, click here.

Fourth grade math students are off to a great start in our study of fractions. Fractions can be daunting to many kids, so patience is required when reviewing homework or giving extra help at home. Here’s the homework for this week: Monday, April 9th; Tuesday, April 10th; Wednesday, April 11th; Thursday, April 12th.

The deadline for 5th graders to register for the OMSI trip is this Tuesday, April 10th. This is a fantastic outing paid for largely by grants. It includes extended visits to the Portland Zoo, the State Capitol, and OMSI, so please make sure your child is included. To attend, students will be expected to have completed their registration form and paid the $25 fee, be caught up on classwork, and to have had no referrals and minimal card changes during the month of April. Thanks for your support.

Thank you to everyone for an excellent series of parent-teacher conferences! Though the news wasn’t always good, the honest conversations about your children will help them to become better students as we move forward. Make no mistake, however, that this is a great group of kids. Despite our over-crowded conditions, I am truly enjoying this year. If you missed your conference and would still like to meet, feel free to contact me. Of course, whether we conferenced or not, you’re always welcome to meet with me at any time the best interests of your student are at stake. You’re also welcome to visit the classroom…no appointment necessary (just sign in at the office).

With any luck, all our CPErs will be returning to class on Monday rested and re-charged, as we have a ton of excellent new tasks to undertake. In Language Arts, the fifth graders will be starting a bank of new classroom plays. Brer Rabbit and the Gingercakes features a whole forest-full of animals talking in southern dialect, a lovable trickster, and full cast singing. The Nose, a classic short story by Nikolai Gogol, tells the crazy story of a nose that escapes its master’s face and then goes running around the city pretending to be a diplomat. It provides kids a chance to try on a Russian accent. Finally, O’Henry’s A Retrieved Reformation focuses on reformed gangster Jimmy Valentine who must expose his hidden past to save his new family. All three plays are slated to become podcasts near the end of April or the first week of May. (If you haven’t listened to last month’s play podcasts, be sure to click on the tab at the top of the page.) Language Arts students also have a new group of vocabulary words, which can be found here. The test will be around the 12th or 13th. Finally, we’ll be starting new Book Clubs on approximately the 16th. Whether 4th or 5th graders, all students are expected to read for 30 minutes or more each night and to record what they read on their Assignment Calendars (if you need a blank Assignment Calendar, click on Basics and then Forms at the top of the page).

Fifth graders are also preparing for the OMSI trip to Portland on the 26th. If you haven’t yet turned in your permission slip and $25 contribution, please do so soon. Full packets with detailed information will be distributed soon, but if you have any questions, feel free to contact Mr. Lewis at mack.lewis@district6.org. We know that this exciting trip has many parents eager to participate as chaperones. However, because of the sensitive nature of an overnight activity, we attempt to use only School District personnel. If additional chaperones are necessary, we will be selectively inviting parents well known to school staff. Thanks for your understanding in this matter.

In 4th grade math, we’re jumping right into fractions. Students already had a crash course in preparation for state testing, so the first week should go pretty smoothly. Here’s the homework for this week: Monday, April 2; Tuesday, April 3; Wednesday, April 4; Thursday, April 5. Students are also undertaking their second round of state testing in math.

Lastly, The Josephine County Board of Commissioners recently honored the founder of the Jo County Tree Plant with a well-deserved certificate of appreciation. The Tree Plant has become an annual event for CPE kids. Grants Pass auto dealer Ross Roe started the event over twenty years ago and continues to be the driving force behind it today. It was he who contacted us to participate after hearing about our infamous “Billy Bob Thorton Tree Incident.” To view an informative news video about the Tree Plant and Mr. Roe, click here.

Here’s a short and simple update to conclude the trimester and take us into Spring Break (March 25th-31st). In 5th grade reading, students are to have completed their Roald Dahl Book Clubs by Tuesday, at which time they’ll have their final exam. In 4th grade math, students are getting a quick review on telling time. This is a concept they should have picked up in 2nd and 3rd grade, but because so many of them seem unable to comprehend an analog clock, we’re touching on it now. Imagine going through life unable to read a clock! Because we only have a couple of days to review this critical skill, I encourage you to work with your children on it at home. Here’s the homework for this week: Monday, March 12th; Tuesday, March 13th; Wednesday, March 14th; Thursday, March 15th.

Parent-teacher conferences are Monday March 19th-21st. If you haven’t yet booked one, do so by clicking on the “Conferences” tab at the top of the page. Students do not attend school on conference days, but I’d like each student to attend his or her conference with binder in hand. March 22nd and 23rd are also days off for kids. These are budget-cut days, which means staff members are on furlough and going without pay in an effort to cover the District’s budget shortfall.

The official end of the trimester was Friday, March 2nd (which happens to be Dr. Seuss’s Birthday), but we’re still wrapping up 2nd Trimester gobblygook. It’s not really gobblygook…it’s important and often impressive material the kids are creating. In 5th grade, students should already have their National Park reports posted on their web pages, so be sure to check them out. This week they’ll be finishing their Power Point presentations and next week their Roald Dahl Book Clubs. Be sure also to listen to the podcasts of the students’ Black History plays, which can be found by clicking here. Fifth grade students also have a new set of vocabulary words. The list can be found here, and the test will be delivered late next week.

Students in 4th grade are completing their Explorer Power Point presentations in Ms. McNeil’s class, and in 4th grade math they’re finishing up their lengthy study of measurement and geometry with a quiz on Friday. Here’s the homework for this week: Monday, March 5th; Tuesday, March 6th; Wednesday, March 7th; Thursday, March 8th.

Parent-teacher conferences are scheduled for March 19th-21st. We’ll be sending home information this week, but to get a head start and reserve the premium spots, click on the Conferences tab above, select a couple of times that will work for you, and e-mail me at mack.lewis@district6.org or leave a reply on the Conference page itself. I’ll update the conference schedule as requests are solidified. I look forward to meeting with each of you!

We have a ton of kudos to hand out this week. Congratulations to Room 15er Ethan Scott for being named KOBI5′s Student of the Week! Our highly-successful Brain Bowl team also deserves recognition. Room 15 kids Emily Hawkins and Andy Croft, along with Danielle McCormick, Jackson Vaughn, Sebastian Vaughn, and Christopher Hervey, finished second in the annual national event. It was the best performance by a CPE team in anyone’s memory, and best of all, we crushed Mae Richardson! Kudos also to “The Bulldogs,” our winning “Mathketball” team in math class. The team consisted of Zach, Celina, Daisy, Samuel, Michelle, and Ramsey. They nipped the Invisible Corndogs in our championship match on the 24th. Speaking of fourth grade math, students are moving on to capacity, mass, and temperature. Here’s the homework for this week: Monday, Feb. 27th; Tuesday, Feb. 28th; Wednesday, Feb 29th; and Thursday, March 1st.

In Language Arts, students are well into their Book Clubs. To stay on pace, members of the Matilda group need to read around 20 pages per night. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory members need to read around twelve, and James and the Giant Peach kids need to read around 11. Specific reading assignments appear on each students Assignment Calendar (if they don’t, the student is neglecting a responsibility), and we plan on being done with this Book Club by March 9th. There is no spelling exam this week. Finally, be sure to check out our Black History Month podcasts of our class plays: Richard Wright and the Library Card, How Jackie Robinson Saved the World, Freedom for the First Time, and The Girl That Got Arrested. Just click on the title and an mp3 recording will pop up.